WINONA, Minn. — A Winona aviation enthusiast, Wayne William Ledebuhr, died when his self-built ultra-light aircraft crashed beside a runway at the Winona airport. Ledebuhr, age 74, was president of the Winona chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Witnesses said Ledebuhr was landing when something went wrong. The aircraft was a 200-pound T-Light manufactured by Airborne Windsports Australia and sold as a kit. The T-Lite is designed to be quickly disassembled for ground transport. It is designed as both a cross-country powered aircraft and self-launching motoried glider for soaring.. It meets U.S. and international flight-worthiness standards as an ultra-light.
Ledebuhr. His second home was Max Conrad Field, where he died.
Emergency response
The crash occurred about 8 p.m. Emergency responders included four Winona offcers, rwo Goodview officers, two sheriff’s deputies, and fire and paramedic teams. Ledebuhr was dead at the scene.
T-Lite profile
Basically the T-Lite has a cable-braced hang-glider with a high wing, a single-seat open cockpit, tricycle landing gear, and a single engine behind the pilot. The propeller is a two-blade pusher, also behind the pilot. The aircraft is made of bolted-together aluminum tubing. The wing fabric is double-surface Dacron sail cloth finished with mylar. The wing is supported by a single tube. Control is by an A-frame weight-shift bar. The powerplant is a single cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke designed for the craft. The fuel tank is 2.6 gallons behind the pilot. The tank can be disconnected quickly for refueling
> Specs: Wingspan: 31 feet. Max weight with pilot: 460 pounds.
> Performance: Cruise speed: 36 mph. Stall speed: 32 mph. Max speed: 53 mph.
> Record: The T-Lite is one model among the company’s 10 gliders and ultralights. A basic T-Lite costs from $1,500 to $3,000. Options can add another $1,500. Shipping rages from $100 to $300.